Chapter 3 - Others

'How are they so quick to throw us away like that?'

2:47 pm, August 22nd, 2019

The warehouse had clearly been abandoned for a long time. It was a large open space, with the concrete floor strewn with chips of gravel and litter, small puddles rested in the shade and ivy was taking over the graffiti-covered walls. Dirty concrete pillars, rusted trusses and shattered lights made up the structure of the warehouse. The corrugated iron roof was partially collapsed, allowing natural light to illuminate the room. Every human instinct in my body told me to leave before the entire warehouse fell apart. But there was something about this place that felt calming to me, like I belonged here. Maybe it was the lack of human influence over the years, maybe it was the sunrays cast in the dusty air, maybe it was something else entirely. The scene was very tranquil, like a safe haven from society, far out of the public eye.

Snapping back to reality, in the middle of the room, several crates, metal drums and pallets were arranged in a circle around an unlit burn barrel. To me, it looked like a place for a group of disobedient teenagers to come and meet up. However, sitting in the circle, only a Jolteon and Grovyle were watching me standing at the door. I'd have been surprised at the presence of real-life Pokémon, had I not become one myself.

"Mate? Come have a seat with us." The Grovyle said.

"Yeah, alright," I replied, walking into the circle and pulling over one of the few folding chairs. I sat down across from them and set the bag on the ground. I've never been good with introductions. "So… let's start with names. I'm Jason, who are you guys?"

"The name's Kaden, he's my younger brother," the Grovyle replied.

"Cody Curtin, you… you can just call me Cody," the Jolteon said.

"Nice to meet you two. How's your day been?"

"Um… It's been fine," He replied, facing the ground.

'It hasn't, has it.' Kaden was eyeing his brother more than me, as well. 'First impressions of the Curtins: Polar opposites. You're shy, he's more social…'

"How about you, Sir?"

That took me aback. Who on Earth still raises their kids to speak like that? Evidently, Kaden was also baffled by it, his expression turning to one of confusion. "Cody? You can let that all go, mate. You don't have to keep doing that facade anymore, okay?"

"Huh, facade?" I asked.

"It's personal stuff. With our folks. Don't worry about it, Jason."

Kaden was trying to hide something, but I chose not to pursue it. "So what's the deal with this place?"

"Ah, so…" He stammered. "Sorry, Jason. I don't remember much of what Cody told me. He found the place for us initially." He turned to his younger brother. "Hey, could you explain it to Jason for me?"

"Sure. Farley and Brannick, the company that owned this property, was a big automobile company back in the day, but they went bankrupt a few decades ago. Since then, this place has been abandoned, aside from a few break-ins here and there. They put in new barbed wire on the fence recently to stop them," Cody explained. "Uh, by recent, I mean several years ago. This junkyard is also located in a really good spot. It's right on the edge of the district, so they say it's not worth demolishing. We're pretty sure we can stay here for a while, at least until things calm down."

"I see you've done your homework, Cody. How'd you find all this stuff? And when d'you get here?" Kaden shot me a look, which Cody didn't notice. 'Did I say something bad?'

"Oh, I found it randomly online, while looking for cool abandoned places a few months ago. This one was pretty close by, so it was a good option for when-"

"Too much, Cody. Too much," Kaden curtly interrupted.

Cody hissed back at him. "C'mon Kaden, I wasn't gonna tell him about that, I swear!"

"Look, I don't want you going into that stuff either, mate. It's… it's no good for you."

"Oh, please. I wasn't gonna say what happened. Lay it off, dude."

"Alright, fine. Jason doesn't need to know what happened last night."

'What's with these two?' Kaden had folded pretty quickly under Cody, despite insisting he should keep whatever it was from me. His eyes were darting around and he was fidgeting with his hands. 'There's something more than just being siblings.'

"Sorry about that, Jason. Anyways, when I got transformed last night… Well, I was essentially locked in my room. Do you know how tall everything is when you're on all fours?"

I only then realised how lucky I was. Though I'd probably never get used to being a Zoroark, I was still bipedal, average height and, by pure technicality, still had opposable digits on my hands. If I ignored just about every sense, it probably wouldn't feel any different than being human. As for these two… I could only imagine something dreadful must've happened to them, something they would prefer I don't even think about.

"Fortunately, Kaden came to my rescue. He… just opened the door and said we had to leave, immediately. I suggested the junkyard, and we arrived this morning at around two or three. Kaden broke open that lock so we could get in. You saw it, right?"

"Mhm, and that's how you guys got here?"

"Wha- Uh… Yeah. That's it," Kaden affirmed. 'Sure…'

"By the way… Jason, do you have any food? I'm so hungry right now, we haven't eaten since yesterday." Cody said.

The paper bag was resting at my feet, inside the stuff I bought at the convenience store. There were the sandwiches I planned to have for lunch, as well as the stylus I intended to use with my phone. "Yeah, I do actually. Here," I said without hesitation. I took out both sandwiches and gave one to Kaden before realising there was a potential issue. As Cody had said, he was a quadrupedal Pokémon. I exhaled. 'Really hope you can swallow your pride, Cody.' I set the other sandwich down next to Cody and quickly stuffed the stylus into my pocket, before tearing up the paper bag into a large flat sheet. "Uh… If you need to, you can eat it over the paper…"

"Really, mate? Are you gonna-"

"C'mon Kaden, you said I could drop the act now. And besides, how else am I supposed to eat?"

"Well– Okay, as long as it gets the job done. You sure you aren't gonna be hungry though, Jason?"

"Yeah, nah. I'll be fine, Kaden. You two need it more than me."

3:18 pm

After a few minutes of watching them eat, they left to go have a chat, leaving me in the circle alone with my thoughts. 'What am I even doing here if I'm not gonna do anything? I already gave my lunch away… To be fair, they needed it.' I was quickly becoming bored from the lack of anything happening. I shot up and stretched, accidentally knocking over the chair. "You don't mind if I go for a wander around the junkyard, Kaden?" I yelled out to the pair, who were standing on the other side of the warehouse.

"It's really not that interesting out front, unless you like cars. We can tour you around the back, to the other warehouse."

"God, please do. I'm dying of boredom over here."

"Alright, alright. Then, let's start here," Kaden said. "As you can see, it's the biggest warehouse by area. I'm guessing this was used for visitor parking, since there isn't a parking lot outside. It also explains why it's so neglected, since it wouldn't have anything important or permanent. The only interesting things are the, uh, fresh water and natural light off to the left."

"What about that?" Cody asked, gesturing to the graffiti and ivy covering the nearby wall.

"Uhm… Interior decor!" Kaden blurted out as Cody giggled. "In all seriousness, we can't use this warehouse for anything. Part of the roof's collapsed so aside from, y'know, the rest of it collapsing, if it rains then everything gets soaked. But we do have the other warehouses. Come on!"

Kaden led us outside through a metal door to the area behind the building. The left and right sides were blocked by the walls of the other two warehouses, sandwiching us in an alleyway about twelve metres wide. A pair of stacked shipping containers blocked the front, sealing the area into a square courtyard-like structure. Both warehouse walls had more roller doors granting access to their respective interiors, though the left side was closed. These buildings, unlike the parking warehouse, seemed to withstand the test of time. Looking through the only open door, rust and ivy had begun to take over the structure and huge machinery inside, but the warehouse stood strong and the roof remained intact. There were even some unbroken windows high up the walls.

"This place is the only connection between the three warehouses. Yeah, weird layout, I know, the guys who built this place probably never hired an architect. To the right is like a factory, and where we spent the night. To the left, well, I don't know. We haven't been able to get that shutter open. I had a peek, and there were a bunch of shipping containers, so it might just be storage," Kaden said. He turned his attention back to us. "You guys reckon we should move the burn barrel and other stuff out here? It just seems more… atmospheric, don't you think?"

Cody and I murmured in agreement. "Yeah, I can see it. Maybe you could also put a tarp up, and-" Before rambling any further, I stopped myself. 'Wait, why do I care so much about this?' Sure, I was planning to spend a lot of time there, but it's not like I was planning to literally live there. "I take you guys didn't set up that circle?"

"Nope, they were already there when we first got here."

"Okaaay, so… Please tell me makes you think the people who set it up aren't gonna come back. I kinda don't wanna get caught out here by anyone."

"Well, the dust everywhere's a pretty good hint that the junkyard hasn't been touched in a while. You wanna go in there now?" Kaden asked, pointing to the open warehouse.

"Actually, I reckon we could get the other door open. See what's inside."

"Been there, done that. Barely got it off the ground. You think you can lift it, mate?"

"Not sure, but I say worth a shot."

I approached the wall of metal slats that blocked our way through. There was a large dent on the door, near the ground where the lock was probably supposed to be installed. Someone had taken a hammer or something like to it, in an attempt to jimmy open the lock and get inside. To be fair, junkyards usually have a plethora of scrap metal and parts. Looking closer, the front of the mechanism had been removed, leaving a small hole in the door. The locking bars and rotor were exposed, blocking a majority of what was visible inside. Peeking through, I could only see a few shipping containers as well as another roller and normal metal door on the far side.

"It's unlocked, by the way, it just really wants to stay shut," Kaden said. I crouched down, placing my claws in the plastic grips. They were in no way ergonomic for a person, let alone a Zoroark. The door seemed tensioned to remain shut. Attempts to lift it only resulted in my claws slipping out before any progress was even made. I struck the metal in frustration, the sound resonating in the air. 'Alright, chill out and take it slow.' With this new approach, I was able to raise it a few centimetres off the ground before inevitably letting go again. The door fell to the ground, spinning the dust into the air. I turned around to see Kaden and Cody watching me. "Alright. I can definitely lift this and hold it up. Could you guys get something that would jam the door open?" I crouched down, taking another look through the hole. After a few moments of waiting, they appeared by the door, rolling along a metal drum. "Ready?" I asked.

"Yep. Okay, lift it!" Kaden commanded.

It wasn't any easier to lift, let alone hold it high enough for Kaden and Cody to roll the drum under. At least I didn't have to use those uncomfortable grips for long, holding the underside of the door itself. "Oh man, look at that," I strained, catching a glimpse of a row of shipping containers. The pair rolled the drum under the door before Kaden pulled it upright. "There, that should hold it."

With the signal given, I let go of the door. It sprung down, jamming itself on the drum and leaving a gap large enough for us to get under – barely. Cody simply walked under the door and Kaden only had to crouch down. Meanwhile, I had to go on all fours to get under it. Passing its threshold, I was met with dozens of shipping containers stacked and lined up against the right wall, forming a huge structure. Despite it's size, a suspended platform with a few catwalks extending across the air were even further up. On the far wall, sets of staircases similar to a fire escape led to the platform. Several containers on ground level were wide open, all but confirming this place had been looted. "Aw, someone got here first. Whatever, there's definitely still a treasure trove of stuff here."

"Woah. That's… a lot to go through," Kaden said as I walked up next to him. The sheer scale of the room stopped us in our tracks. It was the tallest warehouse by far, large enough to fit the colossal stack of shipping containers, overhead platforms and catwalks, and then some extra. Of course, I'd been inside larger spaces, but there was something about huge abandoned buildings in particular that made them truly captivating.

"Aw, hell yeah!" Cody exclaimed. We watched as he bolted up the stairs on the far side and jumped onto the stack, ten metres in the air.

"Cody! Be careful up there, mate!" Kaden yelled.

"I'll be fine, Kaden. Come up here you two, I reckon there's a lot to see," He yelled down.

Kaden and I headed up the stairs and jumped the railing, landing on the stack with Cody. Looking backwards, I expected to see the junkyard and highway through the windows, but was disappointed to discover they were too cloudy to see through. "Over here!" Cody yelled. He was standing next to one of the windows. "Could you?"

The section of the window he stood next to was just behind the shipping containers that sealed the courtyard. From up here, we could see it was just the front for another stack that wrapped around the warehouse. "Geez, how much stuff do they have here?"

"Like I said, Farley and Brannick were pretty big back in the day. Anyways, could you open the window so we can get out?"

The window panel was hinged near the top, allowing it to swing open. In fact, after a quick glance, this was the case for all the windows. Pushing against the panel, there was little resistance as it swung. I pushed it again with more force. "Yeah, watch this- ACK-" The hinges were too loose. The entire section of the window fell outward as Cody jumped back. Caught off guard, I nearly fell out the window too, catching myself on the frame just in time. At least it would've only been a two-and-a-half metre fall.

"Um… There's our way down?" I said as Kaden pulled me back inside. The panel had fallen in such a way that it acted as a ramp to the outdoor stack. In my flailing trying to grab something stable, I must have accidentally knocked the panel around enough for it to get stuck in this way. "Not to self: Be careful in these places. You never know what's out for you," I muttered as I repositioned the panel and climbed down.

The other warehouse, with all the machinery, was barely taller than the stack of shipping containers we were standing on. Upon hearing the rapid sound of something running across metal, I spun around just in time to see Cody leap onto the roof. Kaden lunged forward, reaching out to him. "Woah woah woah, Cody! What are you doing, mate!? Get down from there!"

"It's fine, Kaden!"

"No, no way. Are- Are you sure it's safe?" I yelled.

"Guys, listen! This is corrugated and galvanised. It's way stronger, you can stand on it. If you're unsure, follow the line of tek screws, that's where it's supported the most."

"Kaden? H-how does Cody know all this?" I whispered.

He shrugged. "I dunno, he, uh… really likes his trivia, I guess. Weirdly, what he says is almost always true." He whispered back. I vaulted onto the corrugated roof, letting it support my weight. Besides the occasional unsettling creak, it otherwise felt stable. I made my way toward Cody, carefully following the line of tek screws and avoiding those that made a little too much noise. "So what are we doing up here?" I asked.

"Scouting around? Getting fresh air? Exploring? Either way, it's a great view from up here."

"Can't say you're lying." The view was great. In a country notorious for being flat, any form of altitude could let you see for kilometres around. We were level with the foliage of the trees behind the junkyard, towering over the rest of the industrial park. Combined with the distance, all the other warehouses, electrical towers and even the city seemed tiny.

"Alright, if you see any skylights, large dents in the roof, debris or rusty spots, don't go near them. And don't go too close to the edge, either," He said. "Or you risk a fall."

Heeding his warning, we approached the front, stopping at a safe distance from the edge. A few metres forward was a drop onto the very rusty, unstable roof of the parking warehouse. High above the ground, the soft breeze could fly past, unobstructed by walls. Cars drove along the highway in front, contrasting the birds chirping from the woods behind. Cody eased up to me, taking in the view. "Hey, Jason? Thanks for the sandwiches. I mean it, and so does Kaden."

"Aye, no problem."

"I… I gotta confess something. You know how Kaden interrupted me before? I, uh, lied about what happened last night, sorry. He didn't want me telling you this initially, but… for whatever reason, he changed his mind."

"Really now? Alright, go on."

Cody sighed and sat down. "It wasn't as simple as Kaden telling me that we needed to go. That… that was from our folks. I honestly think I slept through it, since I woke up to a bunch of yelling, and Kaden was shouting too. Next thing I know, a Pokémon rushes in, literally shakes me awake and we run. I don't think I processed it fully until a few minutes later. It's still a bit foggy since I was still half asleep, but I remember seeing Mum and Dad's faces, they were… They were so angry at us. Not even scared. Just angry."

'That's just… wow.' Cody didn't have to say anything more for me to get the idea. To be essentially disowned within the hour? I could hardly imagine it. My parents, they get angry sometimes, but at least they never lost it over something that was out of my control. 'Mum, Dad… Thanks. Thank you for still seeing me as your son.'

But… how quickly was the rest of the country- no, the world going to fall? Had the world leaders abandoned us already? 'It's not a matter of if, but when. There was something announced this morning… rules that would only be bad for us. Based on that… this 'when' has already happened.'

Sitting down next to Cody, I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. Trying to find a response was impossible. 'We've had too different paths. I'm sorry Cody, I just can't. I don't know what it's like to be treated that way by your own parents.'

"...It's fine, Jason. You don't have to say anything, just listening is enough. People have to help themselves sometimes."

"But it's… what your parents did, it- it's…"

"It's not like they really cared. You see it as unforgivable? Disgusting?"

Cody took the words right from my mouth. "Yep. Just about."

"How about you, same story? Is that why you're here as well?"

"Nah. Home's been quite the opposite, actually. My family still cares about me, even though I'm the only one. Considering everything, I'm grateful for it, even if I feel really out of place."

His ears fell and drooped downward. "Oh, you're not staying with us?"

"What? No, I don't mean that! I want to come around regularly, I swear. It's… I just don't want to desert them. I can't leave people if they still care. The way your parents treated you and Kaden, though? There's something seriously messed up about that."

"Screw them, then. We can survive out here, me and Kaden. And you. You're always gonna be welcome here, y'know."

I smiled. "Thanks, Cody."

4:42 pm

Cody and I stayed on the roof for a bit, before Kaden joined us. We talked about random things for an hour, and I learnt that they had had an extremely strict childhood. It was almost stereotypical. They explained to me that, among other things, they were expected to essentially excel in school. Kaden eventually refused to give in and stood his ground, earning his younger brother somewhat better treatment at his own expense. Though he seemed much more comfortable than before, I still avoided discussing what they went through last night. Eventually, we descended the roof via the stack and, with some manoeuvring and courage, safely scaled five metres down into the courtyard. Cody then went exploring again and found us a ladder to use so we could climb up and down the stack, if we needed to in the future.

I estimated that it would be about an hour's walk back to town. During our conversation on the roof, the highway had been brimming with cars almost constantly. I needed a different way to leave the junkyard without being spotted. "Hey Kaden, you don't mind if I go and fetch something?"

"Yeah nah, that's fine mate. Go right ahead."

I went back to the storage warehouse and began searching. The shipping containers only had car parts inside and the overhead platforms were bare, so I moved to open the metal door. Fortunately, it was unlocked. Behind it was a small but empty truck depot. The left was fenced off with another closed gate, blocking the front side of the junkyard. To the right were the racks of cars I'd seen earlier. Echoes of the wind rung from the hollow garages lining the exterior fence.

Inside the shadowy interior, a small tool shed was tucked away in the corner. I dramatically opened the door, which was more like a piece of sheet metal, accidentally ripping it off and sending it flying a few metres. Inside, exactly what I was looking for was hanging on the wall. Bolt cutters. Like many of the abandoned tools in the junkyard, they initially refused to move. With some effort, I managed to get them working properly. Walking to the fence that separated the depot from the front, I peered into the parking warehouse and saw Kaden and Cody on the other side. "Hey, fellas! Got what I was looking for."

"Oh, hi there, mate! What's that for?" Kaden said.

"These? I'm gonna go cut a hole in the fence. I don't want to risk getting seen on the way in or out."

"Wait up!" He hopped over to the gate.

"Where are you going, Kaden?" I heard Cody call out from the other side of the warehouse.

"Just a quick walk with Jason," He yelled back. "You don't mind if I come along?" I shook my head.

I pushed open the gate to let Kaden through. Just to be extra safe, I chose to cut a section of the fence past the depot. "So what do you need to follow me for?"

"I need to talk to you, privately. It's… about me and Cody."

'Now the man himself is talking. I still wonder: What made him change his mind from before? He seemed pretty adamant on keeping this hush-hush…' Kaden didn't wait for a response.

"You know how we talked about our family on the roof?"

I nodded. "I was considering running away by myself, before all this. In fact, I would've, but there was no way I was leaving Cody on his own with them. The stuff our folks made us do, I hated it, and I'm sure Cody didn't enjoy it either. But if he was alone in there? The only one they could get mad at? No, it couldn't happen. He's determined though, my little brother. Way more willing to put on a show than I ever was, I gave up trying to please them long before I was 15."

We finally reached the fence, the woods visible on the other side. As expected, the garages stopped anyone on the highway from seeing us work. I knelt down and began the process of slowly cutting each individual wire to make a hole big enough for me to fit through safely. "Why does he still act like that then?"

"I dunno. Force of habit, maybe?"

"Nah, there's gotta be more to it than just that. I reckon he's hiding something."

"Mate, Cody's a good kid, and I want that to stay. But I'm telling you now, it's damn near impossible. Trying to lead someone up a good path is impossible when you never tread it in the first place."

"He still looks up to you, though."

"Because I care about him, while our folks don't," He said with cutting bitterness.

"I see. But… Why? Why are you going out of your way to tell me all this? It seems pretty personal, more than what I'd be willing to admit."

"I-I want to get this off my chest. That's why." Like I'd fall for that. His voice was shaky and uncertain, like it was withholding information it desperately wanted to be revealed. I pressed him a little more, to get some truth from him. "No way, not believing that for a second. Let me guess, you trust me with Cody already. You– You really care about your brother, don't you?"

Kaden sighed. "It's a cruel world out there, Jason, and it's only gonna get worse. I want– I wanna be a good role model to him, but I know I can't, not in this new world. You're a good person, and…" His voice trailed off. "Could you help me set a good example for Cody? Life's… Life will be easier if help each other."

"That's what my cousin said to me. I believe him." The last wire was finally severed, and the cutout section fell loose. I pulled it away from the rest of the fence and tossed it aside. The bottom line of the hole still had wires jutting upward, so we left to find something to cover it with. Going back to the depot, the 'door' of the tool shed lay in the garage. Kaden helped me carry it out and across the depot. "You think you can trust me with Cody?"

"I don't think I can trust you, mate. I know I can. I know you'll make the right choices for him when it comes to it."

"You think so? As much as I appreciate it, leadership really isn't my forte, y'know."

"I'm not trying to fool you here. You've got it in you. I can sense it, but I can't explain it. Those feelings- you've been having them too, right?"

"Well… in all honesty, I have."

I lodged the piece of sheet metal against the fence and, holding it up at an angle, kneed it until it was bent. Kaden helped me position it halfway through the hole, covering the jutting wires. "So, be a good example to your little brother. Alright. We'll see, tomorrow."

"You have somewhere to be?"

"I gotta be back home by dinner. I mean, I skipped lunch, so, don't want to miss out."

"Okay, okay. When you're going back to your place, can you do me a favour? I want you to tell as many people as possible about this place."

"Care to explain how? They can't understand us, you know."

"Not normal people, I mean people like you, and me, and Cody."

I remembered the moment I first entered the warehouse, envisioning it as a safe haven for Pokémon. A small community of us, using the junkyard as our space, away from the society of humans. Suddenly, we were the gang using the junkyard. "Gotcha. Sure, I can do that for ya."

6:28 pm

The walk home was uneventful, other than stopping on the same footbridge to watch the sunset. The sound of rushing cars, nor even my new body which only served to amplify the noise, could detract from my enjoyment of watching it. 'If each day brings a story, the sunset is the finale, definitely.' By the time I left the bridge, it was twilight, but I didn't mind. Besides that, I distracted myself by fidgeting with the stylus to regain some amount of dexterity. I'd fulfilled Kaden's request in telling any and all Pokémon I came across about the junkyard, though there weren't many by the time it was dark.

The moment I stepped inside, I could tell that home was a lot more tense than usual. Dad was sitting on the couch listening to the news, rubbing his head as if he had a migraine. Mum was in the kitchen, silently cooking a pasta dinner. Katelyn was nowhere to be seen. It was much different from this morning, when it felt tired but tried its best to recover from what happened that night. Now there was tension in the air, as if bad news had struck like lightning. Fast and flashy with no time to react.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Jason. Back from the walk?" Dad said, not even looking up.

"Oh my god, Jason! You're okay!" Mum practically sprinted up and hugged me. However, I wasn't focusing, barely even acknowledging her seemingly over-the-top reaction. The reporter was talking about something that the Victorian Premier had announced in the morning. 'Is this about those rules from this morning?'

"In 90 minutes, the curfews set by the Victorian Premier will go into effect…"

'Curfews? That doesn't sound too bad…' I was deluding myself. Deep down, I knew the next words would completely shatter my life. Letting go of Mum, the room seemed to darken and everything faded from reality, with the sole exception of me and the reporter on the television screen.

"...Alongside the other five rules declared this morning."

'Oh-'

"As a reminder, the rules are as follows."

The five rules coloured in red text flashed after one another on the TV screen, as the reporter read each of them out loud.

'Those within the exclusion zones will be visited over the following 3 days, and upon request must hand over any and all creatures to the authorities. Failure to do so, or protest against, shall result in immediate arrest and a full sweep of the premises, and it will be treated as though you are harbouring a fugitive.'

'Those within the exclusion zones, and who are caught with these creatures after the sweeps have been completed, will be arrested on the spot and have imprisonment of up to 5 years without parole. Creatures found will also be taken into custody.'

'Those not within these exclusion zones will now have a curfew starting tonight at 8 p.m. that will last until 5 a.m. the following morning, with exceptions for work or health-related purposes. Anyone breaking this rule shall be fined $1,500.'

'Those not within the zones are not permitted to have one of these creatures contained indoors, they must be outside the walls of residence. If this is not possible, they must be taken to one of the camps that shall be set up around the state.'

'Any creatures caught roaming without an escort of at least two humans per creature shall be immediately taken to a special holding zone, along with those from Rules 1 and 2.'

I only stared in shock as the broadcast cut back to the reporter. Only unintelligible noise came from her mouth. If she was discussing the rules, I didn't want to hear it. My body was shaking and my knees felt like they would buckle at any moment. A tight, borderline painful force gripped my arm and pulled me towards the couch. I half walked, half got dragged to it, feeling like a puppet being toyed with before collapsing. I shut my eyes and held my head in my hands to dull my senses, which were quickly overloading me. Hyperventilating, unresponsive and in a daze, my mind was going a mile a minute leaving no time to process anything.

'What is even going on anymore!? Who– What— When are they… Okay, breathe in, breathe out– Shit, no, no, no NO NO…'

It finally slowed down enough for me to construct one still-cloudy thought.

'How are they so quick to throw us away like that?'

Gradually regaining composure, I gingerly opened my eyes. I was curled up and lying on my side. The leather sucked the heat from my body, leaving me tired and unwilling to move. Groaning, I propped myself up into a sitting position. Deep, slow breaths replaced my panicked panting. In my lap rested my hands: Sets of three, blood-red claws emerging from an appendage covered in dark grey fur. The very same fur covered the rest of my body. My ponytail flowed down my right and hung off the edge of the couch. I ran my 'hand' through it, only now seeing it as a substitute for a tail.

'What am I to them?'

I looked to Dad for support, hoping he would say something, anything, to help me. He only remained silent, with dissent behind his eyes. Mum had gone back to the kitchen to tend to the food. No one was happy about this. Just this morning, they convinced me everything would turn out alright, and my naive heart believed it. Looking back, it should have been obvious that life could only go downhill, but I took whatever hope I could get. Now, nobody is fooling anyone anymore. In every case, I lose something. My identity, my future, my dignity… There was no escaping the clutches of those in charge.

'It's so unfair to get treated like this way… Alright, stay calm and be practical about this. What did that broadcast say… Exclusion zones? Say, if we're not in one, that means I won't have to get taken away.'

Hope. A glimmer of hope was all I needed to get moving again. "Hey, where're you going?" I heard Dad say as I rushed to my room and, in the dark, grabbed my laptop and mouse. Bounding back to the living room, almost tripping over a few times, I threw myself back onto the couch. "Woah, Jason, calm down," Mum said as I ran past. I opened the laptop, logged in and typed 'exclusion zones' in the browser, receiving results from various news outlets. The first one I opened contained a link to the official map and restated the five rules. I skimmed through them all, keeping an eye out for any loopholes I could exploit. 'Okay, Rule 4 states Pokémon aren't allowed to stay inside – Way to be disrespectful, first off – But won't get taken away.'

I opened the link to the Premier's exclusion zone map. Splotches of red, yellow and orange stained my home city. Header text on the website gave me a guide to the map. 'Red zones mark suburbs where the sweep will occur on the 23rd, orange zones on the 24th, and yellow zones on the 25th.' Aside from the entirety of the city being a red zone, the intensity of the exclusion zones seemed to peter out further from the CBD. Many rural towns were completely clear. After a minute of exploring the state, I beelined for my town on the map. The few seconds it took to find it made me sick to my stomach. 'Please please please please…' Upon arrival, I let out a long, resigned sigh. It was painted in an ugly orange colour.

Well, being safe from the exclusion zones was too much to hope for. "Did… you find out about the exclusion zones?" Mum asked from the kitchen. She walked over to the couch and sat down next to me, with Dad still on my left. At least I had time to say my goodbyes to those I loved. 'Maybe I could also visit Kaden and Cody too- Wait…' The very first thing Kaden said when we first met resurfaced in my memory.

'Welcome home.'

I quickly shifted the map to the industrial park that was en route to the city, discovering it wasn't inside any exclusion zones. A new idea formed, one that would've immediately been dismissed on a better day. Run away, disappear, go into hiding, whatever they call it. Above all, I could avoid getting taken away. 'Yes, that's it. Can't take what's not here, can ya? The morning the cops come, I'll disappear into thin air.' With a plan set, I opened a new text document and began typing.

'Screw those rules. I'm going into hiding.'

"What!? Where?" Mum exclaimed

'There's an abandoned junkyard. With others like me. It's around an hour's walk from here.'

"Jason, there's no way it's safe. We can't let you go."

'And if I stay? Sit down and disappear? God knows what's gonna happen to the Pokémon who go to those holding zones. Y'know, torture? Experiments? People aren't gonna stop looking for an explanation, nor how we can be used. So I either run, and have a chance at freedom, or stay here and guarantee death's equivalent. In other words, there's nothing for me to lose.'

Mum only stared at the screen.

'You can't stop me. I'm leaving first thing in the morning, before dawn, on the 24th. When they come, say that I fled alone during the night. I'll try to be back on the 27th.'

She looked conflicted. To be fair, this was very out of the blue for me. Maybe I've appeared a bit too compliant my whole life. Fortunately for me, she conceded. "Okay. Do you want me to drive you there?"

'No. I don't want you to get caught. I'll be fine. Think of it like camp.'

"Alright, get yourself ready for it, then."

'It's 2 days away, you know. By the way, I think your pasta's burning.'

8:50 pm

Dinner consisted of mildly burnt pasta. Fidgeting with the stylus during my walk home paid off, since I could use the cutlery with only minor issues, much to everyone's surprise. Suffice to say, the rest of the meal was a bit awkward. Normally, we'd talk about whatever was happening at the time. However, I quickly realised I couldn't contribute at all and I could only sit down and eat in silence. I could've put my laptop next to me, but besides being 'too distracting,' it would have been a bit intrusive on the table.

Considering I'd spent the entire day out, at a junkyard no less, I debated taking a shower. Asking Mum, she, without hesitation, made me do it. And so, after an hour, two towels, a round of hysteric laughter from Katelyn, and a vow to never shower daily again, I sat down at the dining table with my laptop as I waited for my hair and fur to fully dry off.

'Hmm, since there's no school tomorrow, maybe I could meet up with Alex and Co.'

I opened our direct messages on Discord and saw he was online, playing the Subnautica game that was released this year. 'Hey buddy, how goes it?'

After a minute of waiting, he responded. 'Doing good. You?'

'Well… The rules are kind of here now, learnt about them just now.'

'Yeah, I heard too. No, I haven't been playing Subnautica all day, don't even ask. You're not actually gonna follow those rules, are you?'

'Ha, you know me too well. I'm getting 'picked up' on the 24th. You feel like meeting up tomorrow at the square?'

'Sure, I'm free after lunch. Should I let the group chat in on it? You need at least two of us, y'know.'

'That's- a horrible idea. Do it.'

I felt someone touching my ponytail from behind. Turning around in the chair, I locked eyes with Katelyn, who was feeling it for herself. "What? Just admiring it. Lowkey, I wish I had hair like that, it's nice," She said. I sighed. 'Of course you do, Kate. You have some really weird priorities.'

'So you want to take my place? I'd be down.'

"Mmmm… No."

'You do and you know it.'

"Oh shut up, Jason." She said, walking off.

I spent the rest of the night talking on the group chat and watching YouTube videos. I specifically avoided anything remotely related to the transformation event, knowing it would only send me into a downward spiral. Videos from years, months, and even a few days back felt like an archive of a happier time, one where the world wasn't actively falling apart. The hours passed by, and before long it was eleven, so I headed to my room and got ready for the night, switching on the lights and instinctively starting my normal routine.

'Charge laptop, charge phone, close blinds-'

I stopped myself before I stepped in front of the mirror. The initial sigh of relief was soon overcome by my guilty conscience.

'I can't keep doing this. I can't keep avoiding myself like this.'

Sidestepping across the room, I shut the window blinds through feel. All with my back still turned to the mirror, still turned against me. Why couldn't I just turn around? I needed to do this. If I didn't accept myself, how could I expect others to do the same?

'If I don't do this now, I won't ever.'

I closed my eyes and turned around. Extending an arm forward, I slowly approached the mirror. There was the sound of something hard hitting a glass panel, and I stopped moving. I exhaled, psyching myself up for it.

'Alright, let's just get this over and done with.'

I opened my eyes. A bipedal fox, a Zoroark, stood a metre away. Me, of course. I turned from side to side, noticing the finer details on my new body. The red accents around the eyes and edges of the mouth, the colour of blood. Comically thin upper arms that still had the strength to break bones. Pointed, animal-like ears and muzzle. Sharp fangs, capable of tearing through flesh.

'Do I see a vicious, violent monster? Am I going to let other people decide who I am for me? No, and no. I'm me, for god's sake. I might live in a new body, but I'm still here. And I'm already tired of people who don't see that.'

Exhausted, I walked over to the light switch next to the door and flipped it, shrouding me in darkness. Going up to the bunk was muscle memory, though I now had to deal with not slipping off the ladder. What were Kaden and Cody were doing now? Getting ready to sleep too, probably. Life was completely against them, abandoned by those who were supposed to care for them, now forced to essentially sleep rough. Only now, I would be joining them in the junkyard. When the police would come knocking in two days, I'd be long gone. But that was a plan for another day. I closed my eyes, letting sleep take me somewhere better.

Author's notes:

Roller doors are weird and I'm tired of researching them. I implore you, DO NOT fight the roller doors. You won't win.

Well, I procrastinated againnnn (I'm silently gonna go ahead and blame exams instead of myself, as one usually does). And on a really long chapter, oops. This one's long solely because it has characterisation. It's imperative that this is done right and is right the first time. In other words, first impressions are a make-or-break, so I'm really hoping I did well with Kaden and Cody here. So, please, don't take this as the standard length for future chapters - it won't last.

Anyway, things are heating up with those rules being introduced. The pacing is a little bit faster than what I'd like since I want to line it up with the events in TBoaNF (Another PercentVerse story), but I can work with that. And damn, do I realise how hard Jason's family is gonna get sidelined later on. But hey, that happens with writing.

Finally, this is the first chapter that I've written from scratch after the previous one was published. Based on how long I took to write this, I can conclusively conclude that I'm really slow at writing. Quality over quantity, isn't that what people say? Still, I hope I can write Chapter 4 in December - and not bite off way more than I can chew this time.

Take care!

Actual word count: 7448 (lol)
Published November 30th 2023

Index:
'Thoughts/Telepathy'
"Speech"
'Typed/written text'